Los Texmaniacs were among a handful of San Antonio acts to play NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts, stepping behind the famous desk for the network's annual 'El Tiny' takeover with bandleader Max Baca fronting a lineup that included bandmates Noel Hernandez, Chris Rivera, and Josh Baca. The set carried extra weight this year: Josh Baca is the protégé of the late San Antonio accordion legend Flaco Jiménez, and the performance arrived more than a year after Jiménez's passing.
As reported by CultureMap San Antonio, Max Baca helped introduce conjunto music to the Tiny Desk back in 2012, when he backed Jiménez himself for an appearance in the series. More than a decade later, Baca returned to front his own band's set, bringing the bajo sexto-and-accordion sound full circle. The 2026 'El Tiny' marked the sixth annual Alt.Latino takeover of the Tiny Desk series, curated by Alt.Latino cohosts Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras, per the same CultureMap report.
A New Song Points Toward 2027
During the set, Los Texmaniacs debuted “Déjalo (Let It Go!),” a track from the band's upcoming 2027 record “Nuevo Crossroads,” alongside performances of “Ay Mama” and “Boom and a Bang.” Felix Contreras even picked up a güiro to join in on “Herido,” according to the CultureMap account of the taping. NPR Music's own coverage filled out the rest of the set: the broadcaster reported the full 'El Tiny' lineup included “Como Te Quiero” among five tracks total, with Max Baca handling vocals and bajo sexto while Josh Baca played accordion, according to KALW.
The 2026 takeover took place at NPR's Washington, D.C. headquarters and featured a 10-act lineup spanning Maluma, Becky G, Camila Cabello, and J Balvin alongside Los Texmaniacs, per CultureMap. Sayre described the series' guiding philosophy in comments carried by the outlet, saying the project is grounded in honest art and “a deep appreciation for the most beautiful sounds among us.” The band's appearance follows other San Antonio acts into the Tiny Desk canon, including Girl in a Coma's 2012 set and Alejandro Escovedo's 2019 performance, both noted in the same report.
Roots Stretching Back to the Border
The conjunto sound at the heart of Los Texmaniacs' set traces back to the mid-19th century, when Mexican musicians along the U.S.-Mexico border adapted the button accordion brought by German, Czech, and Polish immigrants into regional waltzes and polkas, NPR Music reported via KALW. That pairing of accordion and 12-string bajo sexto still forms the genre's core today, and NPR's annual 'El Tiny' takeover runs each year from September 15 through October 15 to coincide with Latin Music Month and Hispanic Heritage Month, the station noted.
Max Baca founded Los Texmaniacs in San Antonio in 1997, according to Texas Public Radio. The band folds Texas rock, blues, and R&B into conjunto. Baca was inducted into the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame in San Benito in July 2024, becoming the youngest artist ever inducted, per the same TPR report, which also noted his performances with Jiménez.
Honoring a Mentor Who Shaped a Genre
Flaco Jiménez, who mentored Josh Baca and co-founded the Texas Tornados alongside Max Baca, died at age 86, according to KSAT.
The band's Grammy pedigree includes a 2026 win. Los Texmaniacs and Tejano vocalist Ruben Ramos won a Grammy at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2026 as featured artists on “A Tribute to the King of Zydeco,” which took home Best Regional Roots Music Album and honored zydeco pioneer Clifton Chenier. It was the band's second Grammy, following their 2010 win for Best Tejano Album for “Borders y Bailes,” recorded for Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, according to Grammy.com. Los Texmaniacs' relationship with Smithsonian Folkways has produced other notable work, including the 2023 collaborative album “Corazones and Canciones” with La Marisoul of La Santa Cecilia, a 15-track project that featured guest vocals from Chicano movement icon Little Joe Hernández, per Shore Fire Media. The full Tiny Desk set is now available to watch, giving fans a chance to see San Antonio's conjunto torchbearers carry a border tradition into its next chapter.
Los Texmaniacs' relationship with Smithsonian Folkways has produced other notable work, including the 2023 collaborative album “Corazones and Canciones” with La Marisoul of La Santa Cecilia, a 15-track project that featured guest vocals from Chicano movement icon Little Joe Hernández, per Shore Fire Media. The full Tiny Desk set is now available to watch, giving fans a chance to see San Antonio's conjunto torchbearers carry a border tradition into its next chapter.
